Rate The Last Movie You Saw

Russian Language Hall of Fame

Stalker (1979) -

Always happy to rewatch my number 1 favorite film (I'm sure you all can tell which film will top my ballot for this HoF). When I first watched Stalker, this was before I was fully accustomed to slow pacing, so I struggled somewhat with it, but I still appreciated it quite a lot. I couldn't explain why, but something about the film felt so alluring and kept inviting me back for more, whether it was the ethereal beauty found in the deserted environments or some various sequences which seemed to have otherworldly qualities. Everything about the pacing should've made me grow bored back then, but while this somewhat happened, I also felt strangely drawn to it for a reason I couldn't put my finger on. I didn't love the film after my first viewing, but what I knew was that Tarkovsky was a director who I should keep an eye out for in the future. Though I struggled with a few of his other films after that, like The Mirror and Solaris, both of which I need to revisit soon, I eventually got around to rewatching this film, which was when I fell in love with Tarkovsky.

In many ways, this is more of a feel than a film. Initially, the transition from sepia to color when they enter the Zone makes the area seem like a haven as opposed to the drab outside world they're stuck in. However, the more we learn about the Zone and the various people who had ventured there prior to the film (like a previous guide named Porcupine who killed himself after becoming rich in the Zone), the more dangers the area is revealed to have, and the more omens they witness as they make their way through it (a group of abandoned army tanks, a black dog which recurs throughout their time in the Zone, or a human skeleton they pass by), the more apparent it is that the room isn't as fulfilling as it appears, thus making the initial jump from sepia to color a façade which conceals many darker undertones. This film has its fair share of ambiguity and every time I watch it, it always leaves me with some unanswered questions, but I never feel unsatisfied by what I don't know about the Zone or the characters. Contrariwise, part of me feels changed every time I finish watching it as the mysterious beauty the film gives off throughout their time in the Zone and, specifically, the tragically beautiful final shot (which would make a short list of my favorite film endings), is more than enough to move and devastate me. I also find many sequences in the film quite moving, like the initial railway car ride into the Zone which has some great, minimalist sound design, the dream sequence which doesn't actually show their dreams, but still feels surreal, and the inexplicably excellent tunnel sequence. Topped with an undercurrent of nuclear disasters and fallouts bubbling underneath the surface of various scenes (this undercurrent is heightened by how the toxic chemicals in the area this film was shot in arguably lead to the deaths of Tarkovsky and two of the three main actors in the film), this film makes for a profound experience every time I rewatch it.

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On this, my last day of being 40, I watched 5 movies. They were:

My Birthday Romance (2020)
Rhapsody (1954)
Hunt For the Wilderpeople (2016)
Mirror Mirror (2012)
The Night Holds Terror (1955)

The term "duck soup" refers to an easily accomplished task or assignment; something that should be easy to succeed at. In the film, it is a kind of ironic jab at Rufus T. Firefly (Groucho Marx), who has just been appointed as leader of the troubled country of Freedonia, but we can also use it to ironically refer to the Marx brothers task of making a comedy that succeeds at parodying government and war. The thing is that the brothers make it seem easy indeed; duck soup.

Groucho is joined by his three brothers in various roles. Harpo and Chico play a couple of bumbling spies for the rival country of Sylvania, while Zeppo plays Firefly's assistant. Firefly's task of governing is complicated when he starts a grudge with Ambassador Trentino of Sylvania, something that threatens to lead them to war. But the truth is that the plot, even though it's there, matters little as it serves primarily as a vehicle for the brothers barrage of jokes, gags, slapstick, and musical montages.

Grade:


Full review on my Movie Loot

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I just saw part of two movies that i thought were ****ty in the same way: little women and curtains. They were both hard to pay attention to.


Little women is about boring upper class women, curtains starts out neat but they don't make it clear what's going on it all. How rude.

A porte chiuse (1961)
aka 'Behind Closed Doors'

Directed by Dino Risi
Starring: Anita Ekberg, Claudio Gora, Fred Clark, Gianni Bonagura

Surprisingly good Italian comedy film about an attractive widow on trial for the death of her wealthy husband. When her defence counsel looks to be losing the case and the prosecution start making demands for a firing squad, she quickly takes matters into her own hands and makes a startling new claim. The new evidence prompts further investigation at the scene of the alleged crime, where the main protagonist has all sorts of fun in confusing the case and the various men involved.

It features a quality script with plenty of fast paced Italian humour. Ekberg actually has a decent part to play here, and although clearly dubbed, gets plenty to do and gives a good performance in the leading role. Also very funny seeing Fred Clark playing an Italian lawyer, when I'm so accustomed to seeing him as the next door neighbour in The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show.

7/10

Counterpoint: they are both awesome, especially Curtains.

By Source, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15999449

Withnail and I - (1987) - DVD

I remember hearing the buzz about Withnail and I* when it was released and hired it on VHS when it appeared on video shelves. I was in my mid-teens and in the absolutely wrong frame of mind and age group to really appreciate it. Also, the film is deliberately under-lit, making it one of the worst films to watch on VHS tape with a small analogue television. How things have changed. This film joins Jules and Jim as one of the greatest ever about friendship. The dialogue is so good (it moves at a machine-gun pace, except for when Ralph Brown's Danny spouts some drug dealer wisdom) that repeated viewings are always rewarded with something new and delightful.

It's 1969 - a decade of hope and renewal is ending. Withnail (Richard E. Grant) and the eponymous "I" (this is an autobiographical tale by writer and director Bruce Robinson) are out of work actors living in a filthy dilapidated apartment in London. Coming down, their sad and pathetic existence staring them in the face, they decide to persuade Withnail's uncle Monty (one of Richard Griffiths' best roles) to lend them his cottage in the country. Instead of a pleasant diversion, the trip turns into a desperate fight for comfort and safety from the locals. When they eventually return home they face the fact that, even though they love each other as friends, their time together is ending.

This was produced by George Harrison's Handmade Films and Denis O'Brien oversaw filming. As far as comedy was concerned he was very well versed in the Monty Python films and nearly brought the entire production to a halt as he thought it was a sure bomb and the comedy didn't work. Despite his constant gripes the film was extremely well received and has become a cult classic. People involved with the film are bombarded to this day with the many quotes and situations people remember - for many this was the first feature film they'd been involved with and brought a promise that was hard to replicate and live up to. While this was Robinson's directorial debut, he'd already been nominated for an Oscar for the script of The Killing Fields - he considers himself more a writer than anything else.

Special Features - I intend to get the Criterion edition of this film eventually, but was pleasantly surprised that this British DVD edition included a booklet about it's production and popularity. The DVD includes a retrospective documentary "Withnail & Us" which was made in 1999 (Richard E. Grant looks no different than he did in his Oscar nominated role in Can You Ever Forgive Me (2018) - he's obviously made a pact with the devil) and it's quite good. The commentary track includes Paul McGann and Ralph Brown - it's also good, but they both seem a bit miffed that Richard E. Grant didn't make himself available. The picture gallery is full of pictures taken before production commenced, and not just stills of the film, so that's a positive. There's the original trailer, and the picture and sound is now clear enough to enjoy. Throw that VHS cassette out.

10/10

* I'm using 'and' instead of '&' as that's how the title appears on posters and all promotional material.

i know they would make more cruella cause it has end post credit after the ending like marvel did to their movies. well like i said emma stone did an amazing job as cruella

I didn't know it was the same director, but I did think about it... I actually liked "The Golden Glove"... A bit gory, but I seem to like kidnapping movies like those. "The Collector" (1965) is a great one I'm betting you have seen.

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https://www.youtube.com/c/LoyalOpposition

Pretty generic, with some good action sequences. Forgettable.

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There has been an awekening.... have you felt it?

Greyhound (2020)

Tom Hanks vehicle with an interesting take on seafaring events in WW2. It's pretty gritty and down to earth and he's ably supported by a good cast including Stephen Graham. I enjoyed this, but I quite enjoy claustrophobic movies, probably not for everyone but it does keep track with the original material very well.

When young, I thought this film was for arty-farty students. When I saw it the dark undertones became clear and both McGann and Grant's performances are rich and wonderful.

One of my favourite movies, awash with symbolism - almost exactly perfect.

The Last of Sheila (1973)

Transsiberian (2008)

This is a surprisingly engaging thriller which we watched not realizing that we had seen it years back. Still, remembering little of it, it almost seemed like a fresh watch.

Returning from a Christian mission in China, a couple (Emily Mortimer & Woody Harrelson) decide to take the lengthy Transsiberian Railroad to Moscow, rather than to fly. They eventually meet a couple (Kate Mara & Eduardo Noriega) who are assigned to share their sleeping room on the train. Later Ginko (Ben Kingsley) enters the drama as a Russian drug detective.

Drug smuggling instantly becomes the focus of suspense, and a cadre of classic Russian dolls that fit inside each other (matryoshka) soon become the MacGuffin.

Deception, intrigue, and thrills gradually steer the film, and the viewer is intrigued by wondering which are the bad guys, and whom do they represent?

The entire cast is at the top of their forms. Even Harrelson, who plays an aw shucks type of genuine guy with high morals seems natural. Intrigue set on trains is nothing new, but this production directed by Brad Anderson (The Man in the High Castle) and photographed by Xavi Gemenez (The Machinist) brings a fresh look at the style while managing to captivate and thrill us.

Doc's rating: 8/10

New Police Story -

The sixth entry in the Police Story series is darker, grittier and has less comic relief - it was made in the '00s, after all - but it still maintains the series' quality. It has all its trademarks such as using more actual locations than sets, chases involving vehicles as massive as the destruction they cause, Jackie Chan doing what he does best, etc. and they're all done very well. I also like the old school vs. new school angle to the story in that it pits Chan's character against the most 2000's villains imaginable: a gang of video game and extreme sports enthusiasts who call themselves the X Gamers (that's Extreme Gamers, not former gamers). Also, their leader, played by Daniel Wu (Into the Badlands, Tomb Raider), is a good match for Chan charismatically. It's easy to see why Hollywood took notice of him. While the movie doesn't reach the heights of the first entry in the series or Supercop, but it's one of the better late entries in an action series I've seen. Oh, and this may be the best-looking entry in the series. I highly recommend watching it in the best format possible because it would be hard to find another movie that makes Hong Kong look this good.

Set in Ancient China, Hero follows Nameless (Jet Li), a mysterious swordsman that meets with the King of Qin (Chen Daoming) claiming to have killed three powerful fighters that were trying to kill him. However, as he tells his story to the king, we realize there might be more to him than what he claims.

The story has a bit of a Rashomon vibe, as we see the events that led Nameless to where he is now, as he fought the three warriors Long Sky (Donnie Yen), Broken Sword (Tony Leung), and Flying Snow (Maggie Cheung). As the narrative goes back and forth between past and present, as well as different versions of the same story, we find out more about Nameless, the king, and the fighters.

Grade:


Full review on my Movie Loot and the PR HOF3.

大丈夫日記 [Diary of a Big Man] (1988) -


Be Pretty and Shut Up!

Chow Yun-Fat cannot decide between Joey Wong and Sally Yeh, so he ends up marrying both! Bigamy is illegal, not to mention neither of the girls would have liked that, so Chow has to keep them both in the dark. This is not easy, as his sole friend who's in on the secret, Waise Lee, has his own fiancée and finds it harder and harder to help Chow ensure the women do not find out about Chow's shenanigans. Hard-pressed by a cop investigating likely bigamy and the girls themselves randomly bumping into each other, Chow has to come up with more and more crazy excuses and tricks to keep his married life intact. What a crazy premise! And all of this in the first 10 minutes! What's next? Hilarity ensues! Chow Yun-fat and Waise Lee starred together in A Better Tomorrow two years prior and it's a joy to see them again, this time teaming up in a mad HK Screwball Comedy! Joey Wong is always a joy to watch and Sally Yeh is surprisingly sexy, too, which makes Chow's dilemma as to who to choose all the more understandable (which doesn't mean he's any less an ashowl - never date 2 people at once, guys ). There are lots of laughs to be had, but as anybody who's seen at least a couple of HK comedies already suspects, this is not very sophisticated humor. Less sophisticated humor probably means I find it much funnier, and it's also true in this case. I had lots of laughs and a wonderful time. Now if only Joey Wong at 28 would have married me now...

ヴィタール [Vital] (2004) -



In American cinema, ghosts can be defeated, and then everything is OK again. In Japanese cinema, ghosts cannot be defeated because they are part of us, so one has to learn to live with them. This is perhaps director Tsukamoto's most subtle film and also my favorite of his. While Tsukamoto's affinity for Parkinson's disease camera moves and excessive outbursts of energy are an inherent part of his style, it's so interesting to see what happens when he decides to go a more calm route. Not unlike some other Shinya Tsukamoto films, this is a drama disguised as a horror movie. Or rather a drama that uses style, techniques, and even traits more appropriate for the horror genre than a psychological drama. Vital is a film about ghosts - ghosts of the past, origami of memories. About trauma and guilt - as much about letting go as redefining the present. The past and the present aren't mixed up as such, but rather co-existing, because death is only the physical end but never a mental or metaphysical end. And then, this juxtaposition of human flesh, body horror-like sketches of the human body parts - that what is temporal, and the human brain at work, phantoms, tricks of the mind - that what is transcendental. Somebody said that we all die twice. One time when we stop breathing and another time when the last person who remembered us stops breathing. A fascinating movie.

男はつらいよ　寅次郎紅の花 [Tora-san to the Rescue] (1995) -



Started more than three months ago, I'm finally getting near the end of the humongous Tora-san series, spanning many decades and 50 films. This film is the 48th, but I've also watched the 49th one (which was a recut of the 1980 film). Only the 2019 film left (made after a very long break to commemorate the first film's 50th anniversary and also Kiyoshi Atsumi who played Tora-san). You see, this film is the last one that had Kiyoshi Atsumi play. The next two films have archival footage from previous movies. Kiyoshi Atsumi died of cancer in 1996. That being said, Tora-san to the Rescue is a wonderful closure of both Tora-san's as well as Mitsuo's (Tora-san's nephew) love stories. Yoji Yamada is a master of genuine emotion and it's some unfathomable miracle (incidentally, he's Catholic) that at such a hectic pace (one-two films a year) he managed to create so many moving and human films. At his most prolific, he would release three films a year (two Tora-sans and another feature) and all three were beautiful. I'd say that out of all directors, Yamada seems to be the most sincere one. He understands what's most important in life - love and family - and always moves around these topics. But enough creaming over Yamada himself, more about the 48th installment in the Tora-san series. To avoid spoilers, Izumi, whom I was angry with a couple of films ago, proves to be the most beautiful woman in existence, one that Mitsuo is almost unworthy of. I love Yamada's female characters because they're so often so pure and good, almost angelic. Now, feminists may take an issue with that, but if you look straight into the Sun and lose your sight, don't blame the Sun but your eyes. Back in the day, I was really angry to find out about the next couple of films because I imagined the story to go in a completely different direction, but in the end, I'm glad it went that way so that Yamada could pull off such beautiful moments! The stunt that Mitsuo did early on in the film is as silly as it is badass. He's got freakin' balls of steel! Did I mention Izumi is perfect and I love her? Apart from Izumi and Mitsuo, we also get the continuation of the Tora-san & Lily thing. Lily (played by Ruriko Asaoka) is a reoccurring character in the series. She's so offbeat and unfitting into the usual female type in these films that she makes a great pair with Tora, who also happens to be an outcast. Their time together always breeds some beautiful and moving moments, and this film is no different, with these poignant taxi moments toward the end. It was such a weird experience to witness 26 years of somebody's life in just 3 months. When watched in a short time frame, the series proves a sort of a sped-up aging exhibition. I enjoyed observing how Chieko Baisho was aging (every film has a beauty, a Madonna with whom Tora-san usually falls in love, but Chieko was always the beauty for me :3 ). While the first time we see Tora, in the 1969 film, he sits alone at the top of a grass slope, the last shot of his, in this 1995 film, sees him getting lost in a crowd, as the camera pans out. Did Tora become a part of us? A part of the culture? Or is he just a man, one of many, somewhere in the crowd, with his hat and suitcase, walking around, peddling, and thinking about his sister Sakura, nephew Mitsuo, and Uncle and Aunt. Only one Tora-san film left. The day I will watch it will be a sad day.

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Look, I'm not judging you - after all, I'm posting here myself, but maybe, just maybe, if you spent less time here and more time watching films, maybe, and I stress, maybe your taste would be of some value. Just a thought, ya know.

Yeah, really not a lot of this movie holds up at the fridge.